Monday, September 24, 2018

REVIEW: 'Magnum P.I.' - A Fellow Marine Has an Important Mission for Magnum to Honor in 'I Saw the Sun Rise'

CBS' Magnum P.I. - Episode 1.01 "I Saw the Sun Rise"

Jay Hernandez stars as Thomas Magnum in a modern take on the classic series about a decorated former Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator in Hawaii.

In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of CBS' Magnum P.I.

"I Saw the Sun Rise" was written by Peter M. Lenkov & Eric Guggenheim and directed by Justin Lin

There are some crazy and ridiculous stunts and special effects that occur throughout this premiere. The show opens with Magnum jumping out of a space ship. That's completely insane and establishes a template of what to expect from the show. It's somewhat suppose to be ridiculous though. That opening sequence highlights the action adventure of it all while also revealing it to be nothing more than a fantasy used to excite the audience of the new show through the context of Robin's latest book. Of course, the rest of the hour is intense in some familiar ways as well. All of this is still building to that climatic moment where Magnum faces off with a truck only for it to come crashing into the ferrari and he jumps onto the helicopter. That too seems so implausible and death-defying. The show establishes it as something that Magnum can do while experiencing no consequences whatsoever. He destroys two ferraris over the course of this hour. And yet, it's no big deal because his friend whose house he is staying in is just away on a book tour. That leaves Juliet behind to somewhat be the nagging woman telling Magnum that he needs to be more careful and considerate of what he is doing while borrowing these cars. He absolutely should be more appreciative of the opportunity given to him. The tone just sets the idea that she is the typical wet blanket female lead who gets in the way of the guys having fun. That's lame and very familiar for a CBS procedural. Sure, she is allowed to have one moment of kicking some ass as well. And yet, it's treated as a surprise that she is a disavowed MI6 agent. She is trying to put on a ruse regarding her identity. Magnum knowing the truth proves that he is actually good at his job. But it also seems invasive in a way that isn't all that necessary. She needs her former contacts in order to help with the final showdown. Of course, Rick and TC are just as important in that moment. They provide support by sea and by air. Rick has the ship that can lead everyone to the missing gold. TC has the helicopter to provide aerial coverage. And so, Juliet is still sidelined in the end. She has injuries just like Magnum as well. There is a physical cost to the demands of this job. And yet, it's more than likely all going to be fixed by next week's episode when Magnum gets his next case. It's just going to be fascinating if this is a level of stunts the show will aspire to do every week or if it is something special for the pilot because Justin Lin happened to be the director.